Green River(VT) Swimming Hole

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Swimming holes are challenging to paint outside. The light and shadows are so dramatic yet changing rapidly. The Green River, in Guilford, VT, with it's historic covered bridge offers diverse subject matter.

One of the challenges to painting outside is determining what to focus on. Usually I find a subject matter which I can easily embrace. On this day I wasn't so set on my subject, on the other hand how could I go wrong? There are so many beautiful sights. 

This watercolor was painted on Labor Day and boy was it a gorgeous day! I focused on the right side of the falls to simplify the composition. I do like the transparency of the water and the energy coming off the mass of overall green foliage. 

It is tricky in watercolor to not overdo it. I was beginning to cramp from an awkward painting location and needed to stop. So this was it.

Art-In-the-Park(Keene, NH)

(C) 2026 Photograph Dale DiMauro

This year's Art-in-the-Park in Keene, NH, was a lovely event. It ran this past Saturday & Sunday, just prior to Labor Day. My wife and I attended on Saturday. The weather was great and there was quite a flow of people at the event.

We saw and met numerous artists and vendors at the event, many we knew from prior years and others we know from a different context. For example, there were artists from the Saxton's River Art Group(VT), students from Keene High School and other artists from an art critique group I attended a while back.

One artist who paints with watercolor among other media mentioned she uses aquabord which is sold as a ready to hang in of itself panel. These panels are just starting to work there way on to the market, but are real handy for plein air painters. They even come with a mounting clip and hangar on the back. From the side angle they appear to be panels mounted on a wood frame.

Other artists come up with clever ideas which are quite inspiring. One woman developed a cover(with art on it) for these popular glass yogurt jars that many seem to end up with when purchasing certain yogurts.

Overall, the event seems to keep on growing. Even the National Park Service was present with a booth representing Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park(NH). It makes me consider putting a booth together for next year. However, it is a lot of work and the weather needs to cooperate.

The Maine Coast

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

The Maine coast is a distinctive landscape. The smell of the sea life with the crashing water and rocky shoreline is unmistakeable.

I painted this watercolor over two sessions. It is a sort of postcard, as I didn't get to visit Maine this year. I know many other people who couldn't afford to go to Maine this year, too.

The original inspiration was as a cloud study as the sky is so varied. However, the water and rocks are really captivating. Even the shadows within the rocks are descriptive of the the overall shoreline and the life that is hanging on, in the pools and eddy's of the changing tides.

The drifts of mist coming off the ocean is a quality I only attribute to watercolor. The importance of using a mister, and when, is of great importance, here.

Today's Plein Air

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Painting outside can be lovely at this time of year as the air becomes crisper and some color begins to emerge. Regardless, you have to move along as the light changes rapidly.

It is important to utilize soft and hard edges when possible. You can recognize some soft edges in the sky where the color dissolves into the clouds. These are some magical touches if you capture these moments. These gradations add much to your picture and can guide you in not overworking your scene.

After my dental appointment yesterday, I squeezed in this watercolor of a local scene. The colors were vivid, the air quality was great and I was able to perch under a lovely shade tree.

One of the Protesters

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

There have been many protests in the last year and for good reason. We definitely no longer are the name we say we are. The United States, is an inaccurate name for what we used to be. I am not saying we will not rebound, but it certainly seems like a long time in the making.

This protester seems to be complaining about the cold as well as the state of Washington, DC. However, like many, at least he got outside, to join the horde of displeased people.

When capturing the human figure it seems best to just put down on paper your washes and move on. Otherwise, it is too easy to go back and overwork the image. Over time, I have learned to appreciate the freshness of the application of washes in watercolor. 

This guy had a fanny pack on which blended in with his clothes.

One-Wash Watercolor

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

Some of the best watercolors are done quickly, with little time wasted. Usually, with a very limited palette.

I am not saying this is a great watercolor but it was done in no time at all. Also, it was painted in one wash - suggesting the impact to the viewer can be significant. Personally, I like the blending of the pigments at the base of the wash - there is a little 'blurry' quality where some isolated vegetation rests. The other quality which stands out - is the lack of temperature - this picture does not feel particularly warm or cool, simply neutral.

This was painted with just two pigments: sepia and quinacridone gold. It has a 'sepia ' feel to it as if it was from a historical document. The stark simplicity of the composition and treatment of the subject are quite striking. It is almost memorable just for the presentation of this wash.

 

Red into Blue

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Adding the color red into your sky can transform your landscape painting. It gives you this brownish gray mood which sets the tone for your scene. I forgot how effective this is when I accidentally dropped some cadmium red into my ultramarine blue sky. Also, the red can play off the red you have in your landscape, whether it is a burnt sienna or Indian red, etc.

I find this approach may give your watercolor a British or historical feel.

This is another example of how important it is to constantly experiment with your mark -making, pigment usage and paper selection. For example, I try every kind of paper I can find. Also, I use all the different surfaces from rough, hot press, soft press, cold press to illustration board.

Latest Plein Air

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

After all this rain, humidity and cloudy days, it is great to get outside and paint. When it is hot and humid out I find the early evening the best time to paint. If you are lucky you can capture the setting sun in one form or another.

This local park is a nice short walk from my house, yet full of potential subject matter. There is usually diverse groups of people in the park making for some interesting interactions.

This mature evergreen on the edge of the field has a distinctive branch structure which frames the open space nicely. Also, it attracts a lot of bird species.

Today...........A Still Life

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

Charles Reid(1937-2019) had a great way of capturing flower compositions without overdoing it. I admire all his work, but particularly his floral pictures. He left much of the paper white - unpainted, to great affect.

This is a different subject matter for me, although not all that different in some regards. In my life I have sketched, drawn or painted many plants. The texture of this Baohong watercolor paper I find intriguing. Lots of saturated color in segregated areas.

This watercolor gives me a lot to think about before painting my next flower composition. I don't want to spend hours on end painting flowers, not that I did in this case. However, I like the freshness of a few washes done rapidly with some precision.

 

This Evening's Plein Air

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

A few years ago I was given ten stunning daylily plants from Olallie Daylily Gardens in Newfane, VT. In normal times I would not see them bloom as mid-July is usually vacation time. Obviously, this year, with the cost of living outrageously out of control, I was home to see the flowers in bloom.

This watercolor has a Winslow Homer(1836 - 1910) look to it, consciously or not. I painted one of my daylilies in bloom but didn't want to spend a lot of time fussing with the background, particularly as the light was already low. Instead, I dropped in a landscape, which gave the flower a greater presence with it's upward perspective. Some daylilies, to me, have a tropical look, which this landscape embodies.

I painted this watercolor this evening as the sun was setting. The bugs got the better of me in the end.

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

My wife and I often usher shows at the Colonial Theater in Keene, New Hampshire. Through the years we have seen plays, comedians, musical acts and community performances live. Along the way we have met many people in the theater or in working these shows.

This watercolor depicts the landscape adjacent to the Showroom which the Colonial Theater opened shortly after COVID-19 passed. Whenever I park in this lot, the late day light and setting sun draw my attention.

It feels good to paint buildings in the landscape. Something about the way buildings shape and define spaces make the landscape compelling. When you add in the shadows, cast by these buildings, there is another layer of life that reveals itself.

Fall Colors

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Fall colors really push the range of one's palette. The high oranges and reds are in a range I don't paint everyday. Likewise, the deep, cool blue-greens I don't use often, too. 

This picture reminds me of a walk through the woods in late October when the days have become short. I did this picture to escape from the poor air quality brought on from the Canadian fires and the high humidity of summer. There is a crispness in the watercolor washes that is descriptive of the cool and clear evenings of late fall.

I like it when the contours of the landscape reveal themselves, whether it is the outcroppings of rock or an undulating shoreline.

 

Statue on the Brattleboro Common

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Statues are great opportunities to capture the human figure. They are put high up on a pedestal to increase their relevance, whether they are deserving or not. However, the way the light descends across their body during the course of the day, makes them quite captivating.

This statue can be found on the Brattleboro Common(VT) as part of the 1887 Civil War Soldier's Monument. Not long ago it was discovered that local black Americans who sacrificed for this country. were not being represented. This racial discrimination was amended with a new engraving at the foot of the statue.

I always wanted to paint a statute and so I did. I am sure I will paint many more in the future. This looser approach for the sky, with a wet wash, I believe, complements the subject matter of the figure.

Cigar Boxes

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Cigar boxes are a neat and convenient way to store art supplies. They come in all kinds of sizes from rectangles, squares and the like.

This one I found at my local second hand store. It cost ten dollars and was in incredible condition. Some you have to air out for some time, to get rid of the cigar smell, but not this one. Also, the hinges were in great shape with a good clasp. Often there is hideous advertising on the top but I kind of like this one.

I primarily store fountain pens, pencils and the like which are easily accessible in my home studio. Also, you can stack many of these cigars boxes of similier dimensions on top of each other.

I have written on cigar boxes in the past but this one was too good to pass on.

Summer

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

The recent prolonged heat wave with high temperatures and high humidity sapped the energy out of me. It was hard to stay outside for any length of time. However, I did get some outside swimming in.

I swam twice in Lake Spofford which the New Hampshire Fish & Wildlife Game Department identified as the cleanest lake in New Hampshire. Where I was on the lake I did't see any European Milfoil, at all. It was lovely.

It's great to paint a summer scene. And to me these are the colors of summer.

 

Landscape Painting.

 

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

Landscape painting takes expression in all kinds of forms. Sometimes it is a great vista(ie. the Hudson River School) or a lovely garden detail. This watercolor may look illustrative and in fact, be illustrative, the result of direct painting while recently, watching Shakespeare in the Park.

This is a different kind of watercolor for me. Nevertheless, it was the back lighting of the woods which caught my attention in contrast to the dark foreground. That setting sun revealed a drama unmatched by the drama on the stage.

When painting outside I have learned all I really need is two or three brushes to complete a picture. I like the freshness of the colors in this picture.

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Last night my wife and I attended a community theater production, Shakespeare in the Park. As we enjoyed the show, I made this watercolor sketch of the scene in front of me. The actors did a wonderful job, but I always enjoy watching the audience as well.

My wife is an aficionado on all things Shakespeare. She is more than willing to correct people or ask their opinion on modern interpretations of the various plays.

I did this watercolor on my lap while eating dinner outside in a lawn chair. It is always fascinating for me to observe people with their diverse postures and assortment of accumulated stuff that they lug everywhere. Also, this Shakespeare play brought out an eclectic group of dogs, which held their own, for the most part, even though there were many distractions.

Reflections & Expressions

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

Over time with practice one finds their way around the paper. By that I mean intuitively artists begin to know where to place a mark and start painting without hesitating or fussing about. The intimidation of a white sheet of paper is no longer really such a factor. 

I think this plays out as you learn how the paper accepts the pigment and the amount of time you have to manipulate the paint before it starts to dry. Then your knowledge of your palette comes in to play. You can mix colors based on past experiences, observe what is in front of you or experiment with new and unknown color combinations.

I like it when a little doodle turns into a landscape. Do you paint the tree first with the landscape around it or do you paint the landscape and add the tree later? 

When I doodle the landscape develops in it's own time. It progresses without expectations or rigid thinking.

There is an abstract quality to this watercolor which I find calming. The stillness of the implied water and the sense of a moment frozen in time. Both of these qualities are expressed through the reflections upon the water.

 

Crowell Park

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

This was painted after a wet, stormy Friday afternoon. Little did I know that trees and downed limbs were struck all over the tri-state region(MA/VT/NH). Allergies were killing me, I could barely breathe. Then it dawned on me - that in fact, it was allergies and nothing else that was bothering me. So I had throat coat tea and was much better off.

However, when I painted this watercolor big drops of water were still falling on me out of the sky. So I moved to a different picnic table with greater cover under a tree which opened up my vantage point, too. The rain cleared everybody out of the park. Before long a rainbow emerged toward's the East over the tree on the edge of the basketball court.

Compositionally, this basketball court in the foreground adds much needed contrast to all the green in the painting. This picture was painted rapidly as it was done on my walk home from downtown.

Sometimes the best paintings happen with the least planning or emotional input. Not that this is a great painting but there is a freshness in this picture which in my mind shows the potential of watercolor. I was forced to make rapid decisions, yet be flexible in my decision making.

Brooks Library Painting

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

My local library, Brooks Library in Brattleboro, VT currently has a dedicated watercolor station for those from the public who would like to give watercolor a try. When I was at the library yesterday, I gave it a go as the British say.

This is my quick watercolor using the libraries resources. These aren't the paints, brushes or paper I would normally use but they did the job. Plus, the paper didn't buckle at all. I just made this scene up to see what I could come with.

My only criticism is that there were no paper towels to clean-up the palette for the next person to use. I do like the vibrant colors which reminds me of the energy of spring. 

I would be curious what other people come up with.